January 13, 2026
RED FM News Desk
A significant number of Canadians feel that crime within their communities has worsened compared to five years ago. However, recent police data from several of Canada’s largest urban centers tells a different story, showing a marked decline in major offenses.
According to a survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, approximately three out of five Canadians (62 percent) believe that crime in their local area has increased over the past five years. In contrast, only five percent of respondents felt that crime rates had decreased during the same period.
Despite these public concerns, statistics from major municipalities suggest a downward trend in violence. In Ottawa, homicides and shooting incidents in 2025 have dropped by more than 20 percent compared to the previous year. Similarly, Calgary recorded its lowest homicide rate in a decade last year, while recent data from Vancouver indicates a year-over-year decline in both assaults and robberies. Toronto also reported a historic low, with only 42 homicides recorded in a single year—the lowest figure since 1986.
Kim Varma, a professor of criminology at Toronto Metropolitan University, suggests that this disconnect is driven by how information is consumed. “Public perception is often shaped by media and social media,” Varma noted. “Most people do not actually consult Statistics Canada to find out what is truly happening in their communities.”
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